Page 55 of Dark Desire
“I-I don’t understand. What’s going on?” she hesitated and I started to feel sorry for her when I saw how much she was trembling.
“Zoran, she’s scared,” I whispered as he walked past me in his fresh outfit and dropped his packed rucksack on the floor at my feet.
“I know,” he said softly, lowering himself to one knee and taking her frail, wrinkly hand in his massive ones. “Beryl,” he continued, a flicker of admiration and affection in his eyes, “you’re a tyrant. And I mean that in the best way. I’ve never met such a fierce little human in my five centuries. But you need to understand something, even though the world is crawling with monsters, darkness, and things you don’t understand, not all of them mean you harm. Most of us are just trying to live our lives and need a little kindness and acceptance.”
She swallowed. “What are you?”
“I drink blood and eat organs, Beryl. The definition of a monstrous darkness. Half vampire, half demon. And you helped me. So, thank you. But now, I’m going to make you forget I exist.”
Ambroz pushed to the surface once more, and Beryl gasped. To my surprise, though, she never released her hand from his, even as his talons extended around her wrists. As soon as their eyes met, her face relaxed under his hypnosis.
“You let a stranger who needed help stay in your house, offering shelter and food, and now he’s leaving grateful, butyou will never see him again. You’ll only remember him by his name, Zachary, and his presence made you realise that you’ve been lonely and want to reach out to the people you love. Ring your sister. Join the dominoes club so you don’t sit here every night playing them alone. Live what’s left of your life to the fullest, Beryl. Be content. Witches, vampires, demons–they don’t exist. They’re silly stories that people tell to pass the time, and when people mention them, you’ll laugh. Oh, and don’t bake carrot cake. It’s truly abysmal. Try baking something without vegetables.” She blinked as Ambroz withdrew. He lifted the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Thanks for having me, Beryl.” He stood up, grabbed his rucksack, and held his hand out for me to take.
We approached the door but stopped when she called out from her chair. “Zachary! Wait.” She hauled herself up with effort and then vanished into the kitchen. Zoran and I looked at each other in confusion before she reappeared, holding a tin full of carrot cake. “Could you get rid of this on your way out? Vegetables in cake? What was I thinking? I’m going to make an apple crumble instead, and maybe I’ll take it to the dominoes club tonight.”
I grinned as he took the tin from her with a small smile. “With pleasure. That sounds like a great plan, Beryl. You enjoy yourself.”
“I think I will,” she replied, wiping her hands on her apron. She glanced at me with a smile. “Have a great day, Darcie.”
“You too, Beryl.”
I laughed as we walked down her front path and I grabbed a piece of the carrot cake before Zoran dumped it in the bin. The driest, blandest thing I’d ever put in my mouth choked in my throat as I coughed to dislodge it. I glanced up at Zoran, who was already smirking at me. “You are a hero. Not only did you make that woman like me but you just saved her from herself. That is the worst cake I’ve ever tasted.”
“If I can make that happen, The Fates have no chance against me,” he said, slinging his arm around me and turning us towards the sea. My smile dropped. Once he’d taken his initial rage out on the paper, Zoran had been oddly calm about it all. Knowing they were coming tonight must have given him focus, but it only heightened my worry. He was in complete denial, believing that he could change my fate, and I worried about what it meant for him.
As soon as we reached the rocks on the quieter side of the harbour, Zoran sat down and pulled me onto his lap. I giggled as he wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder, gazing out at the vast ocean before us. The sun was setting over the horizon, casting a stunning glow of deep oranges and reds. I picked up my camera that was hanging around my neck and turned it on us, capturing the first and last photograph of us together.
“For you to keep,” I said, turning slightly to look at his face. “And when you look at it, just know that you made my last day the best day I’ve ever had just by being here with me.” He closed his eyes and pressed his lips against my shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Zoran. For everything. You’ve suffered through so much and now you have to suffer my death on top of it. But I want you to try, okay? Try to live and find happiness and love in this life. I’ve seen how much of it you have to give today. Don’t let it go to waste. Promise me.”
He lifted his head and peered into my eyes, sweeping my black curls from my face. “I promise. From this day, I will live a blissful life full of happiness and love with you by my side. We will travel the world together, do whatever we want, rebuild my family’s cottage in Serbia and live with contentment until this one is over, and then we’ll spend eternity together in the Underworld. We will have each other forever.”
A tear escaped the corner of my eye and he watched it glide down my cheek before he kissed it away.
“That sounds like a beautiful life. One I could only dream of.”
“You don’t have to dream it. It’s ours.”
“Zoran–” I paused when I felt a ripple of warning course through me from my magic. My back straightened and Zoran instantly tensed beneath me.
“What is it?”
“Someone’s in the church.”
His green eyes dilated, filled with anxiety yet determination. He stood up, lifting me with him and setting me back on my feet. My heart lurched, and I suddenly felt horribly afraid. This was it. The Fates had come. My time was up. And… I wasn’t ready.
Zoran tried to walk forward over the rocks, holding my hand, but when I didn’t move, he looked back. Concern replaced his determination when he saw my lips trembling and the fear in my eyes. He grabbed my face with his hands, forcing me to look at him.
“Hey. Do you trust me?” he asked. I nodded. “Then trust me when I say I will not let them take you from me. You are not going to die today, Darcelle Raine. You saved my life. Now it is my turn to save yours.”
I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his broad chest as he held me close. I cried softly, letting the safety he offered sink into my bones. Could I dare to hope? Could I allow myself to believe he could save me? It felt impossible. But for the first time in my life, I had someone on my side. I wasn’t fighting alone. And that gave me the strength to at least try.
“Okay,” I breathed as I pulled back from him. He searched my eyes with unwavering resolve that made me feel slightly more confident.
“Okay,” he nodded. We walked back to the church in silence. I took in every detail of the quaint little village that had beenmy home for the past three months and smiled. I was ready to leave this place. To start a new life. One with my soulmate. I was prepared to fight for it until my last breath.
When we reached the church, I paused at the gate, examining the building and trying to sense The Fates' magical, overwhelming presence. But it wasn’t them. The front door swung open, and a tall, handsome man in a long leather trench coat leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. His colourful eyes darted between our stunned faces.
“Leif?” Zoran asked in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”
